Though we know little about the healthcare plan the Senate is currently working on, already estimates about its effect on the number of people who are insured and the cost of premiums. According to estimates, health care premiums will go down, and yet you, the...

I’m not sure who of you have read last week’s blog in regards to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia stating they would not reimburse for a particular diagnosis from an emergency room visit. Let’s look at a clinical scenario: a 13-year-old boy...

You’re watching your son play outside in a beautiful summer day. He’s running, playing with the family dog. Suddenly he falls, crying out as he lands on the ground. You run to him and find that he can’t put any weight on his ankle and it hurts to move. What do you do?...

Recently the administration asked the appeals court to delay a key court decision that affects millions of insured Americans. The requested 90-day delay will mean that the government will still continue to pay cost sharing reductions through much of the summer, while...

Most insurance companies set their rates in the summer. By this time they can see the claims that are coming in, project potential claims for the rest of the year, and be able to see how their rates lined up with those claims. However this year it seems that insurance...

On Thursday a judge in Delaware ruled that Cigna could walk away from its merger with Anthem. On the surface this seems like a win for patients. After all, provider networks were already restricted and premiums high; keeping competition in the marketplace is always...

The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) which passed the house this week is seen as the “fix” for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. Except that it’s the fix no one wants. Doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and trade groups representing them are all united...

Last week we talked about what would happen if the ACA subsidies went away and how that would affect many individuals who are receiving insurance on the marketplace. There is a second piece to that puzzle—Cost Sharing Reduction payments (CSRs). The current...

It’s interesting to note that while the Aetna-Humana merger and its subsequent denial by federal regulators received attention, a second merger, one that impacts more patients, is receiving little notice. Not that long ago a district court judge ruled that a merger...

One of the hallmarks of the Affordable Care Act was to offer subsidies to help low income individuals cover their monthly premiums and be able to afford insurance. Now it’s being reported that the president is threatening not to pay those subsidies. What does that...

About The Author

For over 25 years, Dr. Nordella has served patients in the Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley. As such, Dr. Nordella has a long history of confronting Anthem Blue Cross' business practices which focus on profit instead of facilitating patient access to healthcare. And after a 10-year litigation history with Anthem, Dr. Nordella was successful in receiving a favorable judgment that the LA Times stated had not been done in over 25 years by a solo practitioner.